Photo | Keyli Chisesi
Kentucky’s growth and emergence as a title contender started with Ashton Hagans in a December win vs. North Carolina.
The freshman guard disrupted the Tar Heels and made Coby White look like he didn’t belong on the same court. Hagans tied a school record for steals that game, finishing with eight in the win. Since then, his offensive game has caught up.
Kentucky is in the midst of a seven game win streak that includes victories vs. three ranked opponents (Auburn, Mississippi State, Kansas). In those seven games, Hagans is averaging 12.2 points per game, a significant increase from his 5.0 points per game in the Wildcats first 13 games of the season.
Scoring isn’t the only element of Hagans offensive game that has improved. Over the last three games, the 6-foot-3 guard has dished out a total of 25 assists, including a career high 9 vs. Mississippi State. For comparison, he recorded 43 assists in the first 13 games of the season.
Hagans recent success makes him the first Wildcat since Tyler Ulis (2016) to record eight or more assists in three straight games and six or more assists in four straight games.
The Wildcats and Hagans will look to keep things rolling in Gainesville on Saturday, as Kentucky and Florida tip-off at 4 p.m. ET. on ESPN.
